“I’m still going strong!”

Craig Lehner is a familiar face around the St. Mary’s campus. For several years, he worked as a surgical technician at St. Mary’s Ambulatory Surgery Center. He assisted many of our Tuckahoe physicians during outpatient surgery.

In the fall of 2011, Craig was enjoying a day off and working on a home improvement project. As he was lifting plywood, he heard a “pop” sound in his left elbow. Craig remembers, “Because of my surgical training, I knew what had probably happened, so I picked up my phone and called Tuckahoe Orthopaedics. I was able to see Dr. Paul Caldwell that same day! I had a distal biceps rupture and needed surgery.”

Craig is a Marine and at 6 feet tall, towers over many people. He proudly served in Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War. Says Craig, “I know I’m older now and no longer on active duty … but I have always been strong and never had to second guess my ability to perform physical work.

When I was a young Marine, I could do 200 push-ups.

He didn’t even think of delaying surgery because he wanted to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Craig had his surgery six days later at St. Mary’s Ambulatory Surgery Center. He fully understood what would take place because he had assisted Dr. Caldwell in that repair surgery before! The surgery was out-patient so he didn’t need to spend the night.

His recovery included Physical Therapy, so he received his services from Gregg Ryman in Tuckahoe’s Physical Therapy Department. After a six-week recuperation period, he returned to work and his home improvement projects without any limitations. And Craig didn’t settle for just small home repairs. Since the surgery, he has installed a pool and added a new patio!

Craig now knows Dr. Caldwell as a patient AND as a surgical technician. Says Craig, “I have a lot of respect for Dr. Caldwell. He’s a good surgeon … he takes his time and does the job right. And, he really cares about his patients. I am very pleased with the care I received from him, Gregg Ryman, and the rest of the staff at Tuckahoe.”